Turkish Boots Will Remain on Turkish Ground. Why is Turkey Reluctant to « Do What it Takes » at Kobane?

GTE Commentary (Istituto Affari Internazionali) No. 17, November 2014

by Sinan Ekim *

A Kurdish enclave along the Syrian-Turkish border since July 2012, Kobane now stands at the epicentre of the international struggle against the Islamic State (IS). Despite the overwhelming pressure on both domestic and international fronts, Erdogan has refused to come onboard the US-led military coalition against the extremists. This commentary asserts that the conflict at Kobane presents an unconventional opportunity for Erdogan to settle the issue of Kurdish independence in his favour. Furthermore, Turkey is concerned about the aftermath of the military intervention in the Levant, and – therefore – prefers the formation of a no-fly zone over Syria and the creation of a humanitarian corridor along the Turkish-Syrian border.

Document prepared for the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) in the context of the IAI-Istanbul Policy Center-Mercator Foundation project « Turkey, Europe and the World », November 2014.

* Sinan Ekim is Research Assistant at the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI).

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